half-forgotten tales
-- might fit your context.
Gossip that has faded into the background, but still leaves an unspoken impression, wordless images, or things we think we know about those around us, which may be only part of the story. It is also close to the Norwegian in a way.
They can work both favourably or unfavourably - and are sometines self-reinforcing.

My first thought was ´whispering in the corner´.
The idea is, of course, that stories are not heard in full and half-truths are spread. Whispering in the corner is sometimes harmful or malicious, isolating those who are not able to fit into the corner.